In a compelling close to the 2025 Australasian Packaging Conference, panellists Dr Nicole Garofano, Pippa Corry and Belinda Chellingworth distilled the event’s insights into a clear message: collaboration, design, and systems thinking are essential to building a circular packaging future.
As the 2025 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design Conference drew to a close, the final session saw three influential voices reflect on the key insights of the two-day program. Dr Nicole Garofano, head of Circular Economy Development at Planet Ark, led the wrap-up, joined by Pippa Corry, founder and director of philo & co, and Belinda Chellingworth, director and principal consultant at BC Consulting. Together, they offered a rich synthesis of the event’s major themes – circularity, inclusivity, innovation, and action.
Technology, data and systems thinking
Dr Garofano opened the session with a look back at the collective aspirations expressed by delegates at the start of the conference. Key words from the opening word cloud – “recyclable”, “reuse”, “innovation”, and “collaboration” – set the tone for the days that followed, and were echoed in multiple sessions focused on design, data and the enabling power of technology.
Reflecting on these themes, Corry addressed the value of AI in packaging design, noting that initial nervousness about automation displacing designers was gradually being replaced by appreciation of its benefits.
“AI can help us simulate structural designs, test usability and extractability, and accelerate iteration cycles,” she said. “In a world pushing towards circularity with urgency, this technology enables faster, smarter decisions.”
She stressed that smart packaging design must be grounded in data and lifecycle analysis. “We need to integrate systems thinking from the outset – ensuring recyclability and recoverability while also considering embedded environmental impacts. We have to avoid designing in unintended consequences.”
Cory also highlighted the importance of evidence-backed claims: “Transparency isn’t going away. We need data to validate what we’re saying – and to tell more impactful stories.”
The human factor in packaging
Chellingworth shifted the focus to human-centred design and behavioural insight, pointing out that consumers – better referred to as “people” – are central to packaging outcomes, whether through their purchasing choices or their interaction with pack formats.
“When I was head of waste at Aldi supermarkets, the first thing people said to me was, ‘Why is there so much plastic on fruit and veg?’,” she recalled. “That question reflects a broader consumer demand for circularity – even when they don't necessarily understand the depths and complexity of the issues.”
Chellingworth was particularly moved by sessions on packaging accessibility, noting the urgency of designing for people of varying abilities. “Those sessions were humbling,” she said. “As someone who is able-bodied, it was a wake-up call. Packaging should work for everyone.”
Corry agreed, and also challenged industry language, citing a reframing introduced by a speaker from Suntory. “They use the Japanese term Seikatsusha, meaning a person who lives life guided by values – not just a consumer. That mindset unlocks emotional connection and shifts how we design and communicate.”
Global perspectives and local solutions
Chellingworth brought home the value of the international lens at this conference, highlighting how the impact of packaging systems varies dramatically depending on local context.
“We saw examples of informal waste pickers overseas – often invisible but vital players in recovery systems,” she said. “In Australia, we’re fortunate to have a mature waste system, but we still need to think about how circular solutions can be tailored to remote and regional communities.”
Weighing in, Garofano applauded the ANZPAC Plastics Pact for its regional archetype model and pointed to her own work in the Pacific and South Asia, where scalable, culturally relevant packaging systems are critical.
Packaging’s role in reducing food waste
Food waste was another major thread. Chellingworth underscored the link between packaging and waste prevention, citing innovations such as resealable meat packaging and portion guidance labels on pasta and bread.
“We waste enough food to fill the MCG ten times over every year, while many Australians remain food insecure,” she said. “Packaging plays a crucial role in helping food stay fresher for longer, in more useable quantities, and with clearer communication.”
She also flagged an upcoming national project focused on clarifying “use by” and “best before” dates, calling it “long overdue”.
Innovation and impact: Awards reflections
Reflecting on the PIDA awards that took place on night one of the conference, Corry pointed to standout examples such as Woolworths’ collaboration with Viscount Reuse on reusable e-commerce totes.
“These totes hit the mark on so many levels – durable, high recycled content, system-oriented – and made possible through partnership,” she said. “It really speaks to the ethos of collaboration.”
She also praised the Mars and Birdstone shelf-ready packaging redesign: “It’s a great example of using existing lines to develop one intuitive solution that performs across shelf, retail and logistics. Smart design doesn’t always need to be complex.”
Chellingworth was impressed by the Bunzl reusable food service container, developed to endure hundreds of reuses in high-volume settings. “It’s a brilliant solution for a really difficult challenge. These are the kinds of innovations we need more of – durable, purposeful, and genuinely scalable.”
From insight to action
All three panellists agreed that collaboration and patience are essential for meaningful progress. “Some great things happen fast,” said Garofano, “but others take years. We need patient action, cross-functional teamwork, and investment that supports long-term transformation.”
Chellingworth urged the industry to believe in the “unbelievable”. “Circularity challenges our linear habits,” she said. “What seems radical today might be essential tomorrow. We’ve already seen dramatic progress – let’s keep going.”
For Corry, the takeaway was the power of communication. “The outcome we need is often on the other side of someone else’s decision,” she said. “To reach them, we need to communicate with clarity, empathy and strategy.”
Each speaker made a final pledge: to keep translating across silos, to keep listening to lived experiences, to apply systems thinking, and to keep working – even with family members – to embed sustainability into daily life.
“The sense of momentum here is real,” said Garofano in closing. “Let’s keep this energy going. The path to circularity isn’t always easy – but it’s absolutely possible.”
